


Tea Time

by Sheikahwriter



Series: Practice Yields Results [2]
Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Fluff, M/M, No Spoilers, Pure, Softness, This is just more pureness, tea time
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-01
Updated: 2019-09-01
Packaged: 2020-10-05 03:07:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,105
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20481830
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sheikahwriter/pseuds/Sheikahwriter
Summary: Claude will never be easy to see through. After drowning in letters, Dimitri can only hope he is being honest.





	Tea Time

**Author's Note:**

> I love them so much. Goes hand in hand with my previous fic if you wanna give that a read.

Your Royalness,  
How does the writing go? Did my little lesson impact you at all? I heard from around that you haven't been breaking as many quills. Hey, that's a step forward! I think writing letters could definitely help you brush up on practicing that strength. Does that sound good to you? Well, even if it doesn't, you'll be getting some letters in the mail. If I were you, I would answer them before I start adding some little treats to them. Sounds good?  
Best,  
Claude Von Reigen

Claude,  
I hope this letter finds you well. And yes, actually, your lesson did impact me in a multitude of ways. Was that a joke? A joke having to do with the impact of my quill on paper? Nonetheless, I do appreciate you helping me. I have been practicing whenever there is a spare moment, though those feel so few now with the Battle of the Eagle and Lion approaching. I will do my best to answer your mail, Claude. I appreciate the time you take to write towards me.  
Sincerely,  
Dimitri

Your Highness,  
Wow! I got an answer from the prince. Haha, good to hear back, but geez, can you tone down the script? I'm trying to not stress my eyes out. How about when we write you tell me every time you break a quill, so we can figure out what else is causing it? By the way, I think we have quite a few things to discuss. You know, I may seem like the folk to go around writing letters to everyone and giving them gifts, but I'm not the type to kiss anyone at any given time, I think that's one of your friends instead.  
Best,  
Claude Von Reigen

Claude,  
Please address me as Dimitri, I do not wish to hear those titles in a setting like this. We can keep things casual. And yes, I will let you know when I break a quill. I broke one at the beginning of the first letter, and the first sentence of this one. Do not bring Sylvain into this! He may be a skirt chaser but he knows when to not go for more...sometimes. We are working on that. Anyhow, that is good to hear, I suppose. Am I supposed to act on this information you've given me?  
Quill broke lines 5 and 9.  
Sincerely,  
Dimitri

Your Priceliness,  
Now, you know I use these titles for a completely different reason than the others. It's just so adorable when you get upset sometimes. Sylvain could use some lessons from Lorenz in respecting women, so it sounds. But let's drop all that and take a moment to think about this. That kiss I stole--would you have said you liked it? Your face turned quite red, I thought it was cute.  
Best,  
Claude Von Reigen

Claude,  
Of course you do. I guess some habits can never change. What a fantastic idea, let us put the two men who go around flirting with women so they can learn from each other. Why don't you join them, Claude?  
Dimitri

Oh Benevolent One,  
Sheesh, that hurts. First of all, you totally dodged the question I asked. Second of all, you really see me as one of them? I'm simply trying to create bonds with my classmates because who on Earth knows when the next time we meet will be. I'm hurt, but maybe if I say something you will too. I don't kiss anyone for no reason. I liked it.  
Claude

Claude,  
My apologies, Claude. I spoke out of line. You are different than the others, but sometimes--no--it is difficult to read you compared to others. Was I to assume you meant what you did and you simply don't go around handing affection such as that out? Once again, I am sorry.  
But I will agree with you, I did enjoy it.  
Quill broken lines 1 and 6.  
My apologies,  
Dimitri

Dimitri,  
It's alright, I know things spread like crazy around here. Maybe this next proposition can help. How about we meet for tea? The night before the Battle of the Eagle and Lion. I'll set something up at the gazebo and I'll be waiting for you. Is that formal enough for a prince like you? No japes.  
Claude

Claude,  
I genuinely hope you are being honest and true, because I would like to have tea with you. Am I to suspect any surprises with this one? A bird has been going around tweeting about how the last dining hall dish had a negative effect on almost every Black Eagle. Are you trying to ruin me for the battle?  
Sincerely,  
Dimitri

Dimitri,  
No surprises, no jokes, no elixirs. Ignatz has been keeping too good of an eye on me for me to mix up anything new. And hey, you can't say seeing Edelgard with a face like that wasn't hilarious! I'll meet you tomorrow night. 10. And please, no Dedue. Just us.  
Yours truly and hoping,  
Claude

Dimitri laid onto his bed, putting the letter down on his chest, his heart racing. Tonight was indeed the night before their battle, and he still had an unsure feeling about Claude asking him out on this night of all nights. Yet, at the same time, part of him trusted Claude. As much as he didn’t want to, he couldn’t help but feel excited to see him and talk to him. But he was still terrified.  
He brought a hand to his face, feeling his warm cheeks. Oh no, what was going on in his mind. Why did he suddenly feel so...happy he was receiving this much attention from him?  
Dimitri sat up in his bed and looked to the corner where his lance rested. He planted his feet on the ground, grabbed it and headed out.

***

The prince peaked around the corner, and lo and behold, the mysterious man was there. He was sitting at the table with his head resting on his hand, waiting by himself with a pot of tea, some small baked treats, and two teacups. It was the normal set up under the gazebo, and he was shocked that he was still just waiting on his own.

But maybe someone was hiding. Maybe someone was waiting under the table to scare Dimitri, or he did plant something in the food. Or….

Maybe he was serious after all.

Dimitri approached the table, Claude greeting him with a smile at first. He then narrowed his eyes, letting out a sigh, pouting. "Your lance? You know, as much as I like a man with protection, this is not what I had in mind. You don’t trust me?"

"Claude!" He gasped. “I...I’m speechless at your filthy mouth!”

He brought a hand to his mouth to hid his smile, chuckling, “I’m surprised you got that one! I’m also surprised you didn’t leave immediately after it.”

He felt a soft blush form on his face. He was used to it all from Sylvain, and there's where he picked up on such dirty talk. Although it would have to be explained most of the time, he understood it eventually and picked it up more, sadly. “Well, I simply want this to work out, I suppose. Anyway, you set this up and I would feel bad for leaving.”

“Right, you keep telling yourself that, Dimitri. You won’t be able to look away from my beautiful green eyes by the end of tonight,” Claude winked, like his normal self would do. Dimitri felt his heart skip a beat. “Sit, why don’t you?”

Dimitri stared at the table for a moment before pulling out his chair and laying his lance on the ground. He sat down, and Claude lifted the teapot and poured out the hot tea.

“You like tea?”

“Of course I do.”

“Hey, I don’t know. Everyone’s different and I don’t judge. I don’t like tea that much, but I’ll drink it. Especially if I just dump sugar into it,” Claude grinned, putting in a few sugar cubes.

Dimitri rested his head on his hand, “Tea at this hour? I sure hope you poured some Chamomile--especially with our big day tomorrow.”

“Ha, you wish!” he cheered. “Rose-Petal blend. I’m going to go ahead and assume a man of royalty as yourself understands the significance of such a divine flavor.”

His hands snaked around the delicate teacup, and his head raised a bit in surprise. He looked to Claude, a smile on his face, “The tea of the Alliance and Kingdom? You are quite sly, Claude. I must admit, I wouldn’t have expected such a fine detail from you.”

“What can I say, I’m full of surprises, aren’t I?” He stirred his tea and took a sip. “Besides, I know we’ll just be up all night talking to each other. What better way to spend an evening?”

Dimitri cleared his throat, swirling his tea around, “You mean...just talking? No pranks?”

Claude frowned, his brow coming together, "Are you scared I might try something? I would ask before anything, Dimitri. I know I’m not to be trusted, but I had standards for a first _date_."

The prince lifted his cup to his lips, taking a sip, “Well, I mean...you would really ask before doing something?”

Claude reached for a scone off of the silver platter that was beside them, taking a bit, "Well, yeah. Are we talking about the same thing? I don't prank on dates. And besides, I don't want to startle you again. I love surprises, but who knows what you'll snap next, my neck?"

Dimitri felt the corners of his mouth turn upward, “Oh, as much as I desire to sometimes after all of your snarky remarks and antics, I would never.”

“Oh, princey over here is going to have me by my throat,” Claude grinned deviously, “Not going to lie, I never took royalty to be into something like that.”

Dimitri choked on his drink, coughing as dignified as he could, “Claude, please. Are you always so...crass? I deal with Sylvain so much already…"

"So that's where you understand all this from!" Claude laughed. “I’d say you’d have to keep talking to me to find out, but just to let you in on something, I am with people I can make embarrassed. You’re so cute when I can make you choke on your own words.”

He felt his face heat up. Did Claude really think he was cute? With nothing else attached...besides the embarrassing point. Dimitri fought back a smile, Claude flashing a grin with his teeth to show pride in his success of making him so red-faced.

Claude took another bite of his scone, "So, what's gonna happen tomorrow?" Claude asked.

"We're all going to fight. We'll see who's really the strongest one of us all," Dimitri answered.

"You and the princess have no clue what's coming," he winked.

"Claude! You said--"

He couldn’t seem to stop laughing, "Oh, it's just a joke!! Besides, I wouldn't want to get in the way of you and your crush."

"No! Absolutely not! I could never!--"

Claude stopped him, "You know, I was honestly worried I had some competition to take out. It's good to hear you're not interested in her."

"You still have to fight her on the battlefield, you know."

Claude shrugged, "Yeah, we both do. But this fight off the battlefield, I intend to win. It's the best prize I've seen in a while. Maybe even ever."

The prince was catching onto his hints, but he still needed the validation that he was right. If there was one thing he knew, it was to never assume things with Claude. "And what fight is that?"

"Oh, are you trying to make me reveal my schemes? I thought by this point I would have made it pretty obvious, but you’ll find out."

There was some silence as they sat on their exchanged words. Dimitri’s heart was pounding in his chest...yes, he wanted Claude to win his heart. He wanted nothing else but his attention during the day. He couldn’t even begin to fathom how differently he felt beside him, but there was no fighting him. He was wrapped up in his silver tongue and smooth voice, wanting nothing but Claude.

But how could he possibly trust him? He didn’t like to think about it, but was it possible this was all a trick? Could Claude have been doing the same thing to Edelgard behind his back--buttering her up? Edelgard wouldn’t take it, but who knows. Claude was too smooth sometimes, and Dimitri was falling hard.

Dimitri lifted his teacup.

Claude smiled, looking out to the garden. He sighed heavily, resting his head on his hand. "Can I kiss you?"

The prince tensed, hearing a crack, feeling the cup handle break and fall into his lap. He cried out, "Augh! No!! I mean--Claude!! W-why would you just blurt that out!"

Claude covered his mouth, "O-oh man...I…" he began snickering, "I didn't think I'd shock you with that! Dimitri! I was being thoughtful and asking this time!"

He frowned, grabbing a few napkins off of the table to pat himself dry, feeling as though he lost control of the situation. Although, looking back, he really never did--Claude was too good at talking.

"Ahem. I'm sorry, rude of me to laugh on our first date." He put his hand down from covering his face. "Sorry...that this is going how it is. I thought I tried my best."

The duke stood up to help Dimitri clean whatever tea was on him. He reached under the tablecloth to pick up the now broken cup.

"Claude I...I'm having a great time, truly. But at times like this, I wish the tea weren't so hot," he cried

"Next time I'll prepare it a bit cooler," he shrugged, standing from the ground. "Besides, we'll need some iced tea to cool us off."

Next time? He liked the sound of that. Dimitri's face turned red, "Oh...well I'm not too sure, it’s still going to be cold for quite a while."

Claude said nothing in reply, but Dimitri saw him wink from the corner of his eye. “It’s getting late. We should head back. And...we’re out of a teacup, so.”

Dimitri grumbled to himself, but stood up with Claude as they began walking back to their rooms. It was quiet at night in the Monastery. Sometimes there would be students out and about, enjoying the silent air. But tonight it seemed like everyone was inside, preparing for tomorrow. It was nice to have a moment of peace before things were going to pick up on the field.

“So, I think you break things when you’re nervous,” Claude began. “Am I right?”

The prince let out a huff from his nostrils, “It’s not only when I’m nervous, but I feel as though it’s the most probable answer for the most part.”

“I just looked back at our letters...whenever I mentioned...well...us, or what happened, you’d freak and break the quill.”

He folded his arms, “Well, can you blame me? It was a shocking event for me…”

Suddenly, a warm hand brushed his. It seemed intentional, and Dimitri hoped it was, but there was no further move to grasp his hand besides that. Claude’s tone of voice changed, and Dimitri took note. "Hey, I like you...Dimitri. I really do. I like spending time with you."

“Claude...I…” he cleared his throat. “I too enjoy spending time with you. I would like to spend more time with you. I mean, more than we do right now. Outside of class, obviously. I feel like time is so scarce and this battle is approaching so fast and everything will fly by. We’ve been going through so many lessons so quickly and--”

Claude stopped at the entrance of the dormitory, he looked up for a moment, then turned towards Dimitri “So, let me ask this again since your hands are free. Can I kiss you?”

Dimitri was silent, realizing there was nothing he had that could help him express his reaction or emotion. He tried to speak, opening his mouth to try and form a word. Yes is what his mind begged to be spoken, but he could only nod quickly in response.

Claude’s thumb and index finger fit between his chin perfectly, just like the first time. He took a step forward, leaning in with his head tilted. This time, his lips met against the prince's. It was pure and soft, and Claude moved to cup his face in his hands. Dimitri felt his eyes flutter shut, and for a moment, his body sighed delightfully at the genuine expression of love. The world stopped, and all that was left was them.

He pulled away, Dimitri's face red, hands balled up, sweating. Claude let out a huff from his nose, sweeping his blonde hair from his face gently.

He smiled, "Well? Should I ask your thoughts on that kiss too?"

"That was...yes…" Dimitri’s hand touched his lips. "Satisfactory. Yes...and…lovely. A lovely experience. I-I liked it."

"You should know I have plenty more where that came from," he winked.

"Well, I just so happen to have one too," Dimitri replied, letting himself relax.

Claude's fingers laced into Dimitri's, knowing the danger. This time, Dimitris lips were planted on his forehead--firmly and confidently.

"Thank you for tea," Dimitri smiled, happy to see Claude blushing with a grin on his face. He actually did that to him.

“I liked that one too, in case you were wondering,” He joked. “But I think any kiss from you would be pretty good. We’ll have to try out some more sometime.”

“Depends how we both do tomorrow,” Dimitri replied snarkily.

“Oh, well you surely grew some confidence from the beginning of this. I bet you think you’re all free from the pranks since I like you so much, but you know what I would do if I were you?”

Dimitri smiled, still in a trance from the kiss, “Yes?”

“I would go get my lance. Oh, and then probably skip out on breakfast.”

His eyes widened, Claude lifting his hand and planting a kiss on his knuckles. He walked away, “Good night, princey! See you tomorrow, bright and early in the dining hall!”

As much as Dimitri wanted to run after him, he realized he had to turn around back to retrieve his lance, poisoned with the thoughts of what breakfast was tomorrow and who was on the cooking shift.


End file.
